The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of successive bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) with an interval of more than 1 year to aid the evaluation and management of successive bilateral SSNHL (BSSNHL). 14 successive BSSNHL patients and 118 unilateral SSNHL patients with severe and profound hearing loss were reviewed retrospectively. Information about successive BSSNHL was collected included demographics, the intervals between the attacks of bilateral ears, the past medical history, inducing factors, accompanying symptoms, pure-tone tests, blood tests, b-ultrasound examinations of vertebral artery and carotid artery, and medical interventions...

CONCLUSION: There is no increased risk for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) among people who have experienced a recent herpes zoster attack, compared with a matching population. OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of SSNHL remains unknown, but viral infection is considered to be one of the main causes. The objective of this case-cohort study was to investigate the frequency and risk for SSNHL following a recent herpes zoster attack in the general population. METHODS: We extracted 313 612 patients with herpes zoster from a nationwide health registry in Taiwan, and also randomly selected 313 612 matched control subjects...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: This study hypothesizes that low-frequency hearing loss is associated with underlying cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to use a mathematical model of hearing thresholds to predict cardiovascular status. STUDY DESIGN: Logistic regression analyses of audiometric and cardiovascular data obtained through retrospective chart review. Application of a derived mathematical formula to a distinct prospectively enrolled cohort...

Herb, a 66-year old general contractor, had a major heart attack five years ago. His doctor performed an emergency coronary angiography to examine the blood vessels and chambers of his heart. After the procedure, Herb's doctor gave him a simple line drawing of the heart and arteries. She then coloured in where each artery was blocked and wrote alongside how much each was occluded. Seeing so clearly what was wrong, Herb readily agreed to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program and change his diet and exercise habits...

BACKGROUND: This paper reports the association between self-reported diseases and impairments and 2-year onset of disability in a prospective study of people aged 65 years or older in five urban and rural centers in England and Wales (Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study; MRC-CFAS). METHODS: We initially reviewed risk factors for onset of disability in 35 prospective studies of functional decline in older people published in 1998-2001. In the present study, disability was defined as requiring help from another person at least several times a week and was assessed by dependency in activities of daily living...